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Why Conduct a Mid Year Performance Review?
- Most organizations set their objectives at the beginning of the year, but much can change in six months time. You need to keep objectives aligned with business changes.
- The Mid Year Performance Review acts as a formal “check in” with the employee. If you are only formally reviewing performance at the end of the year, you run the risk of surprising the employee with a poor review. A Mid Year Performance Review gives the employee the opportunity to take corrective action before the formal end of year review.
- It can solidify the actions you need the employee to take for the balance of the year. It is an excellent opportunity to clarify and review specific goals and actions to be achieved by the end of the year.
Steps to Conducting a Mid Year Performance Review
- Employee provides self-assessment. Employees should have as much responsibility in the performance review process as the supervisor does. The best way to ensure this accountability is shared is to insist that the employee conducts his/her own self-assessment using the same criteria and format as the supervisor will to assess performance. The differences between ratings provides a fertile ground for discussion.
- Manager collects performance data and feedback. The manager should use data wherever possible, and at the very least list specific behavioral examples. To use vague or non-specific statements when assessing performance is neither professional, nor useful.
- Review assessment and write review. Review the employee’s self-assessment, and write your own review as to the employee’s performance. Incorporate all the data and examples you gathered in step 2, above.
- Conduct the Mid-Year Performance Review discussion. After both employee and supervisor have done their preparation, they need to meet to formally discuss performance.
The Mid Year Performance Review Discussion
- This is the most important aspect of the Mid Year Performance Review.
- Conduct a quick retention interview along with the performance discussion. For example, you may simply want to ask how the employee perceives his/her work environment, and how challenged and satisfied they feel working there. Too often, organizations wait until the Exit Interview to gather this feedback.
- The employee should be given the opportunity to describe their deliverables against each objective and other projects. They should be able to articulate what they’ve done in the first half of the year, and how that has contributed to their stated goals and objectives.
- During the Mid Year Performance Review meeting, discuss feedback grounded in multiple perspectives from the organization. In other words, how are the efforts of this employee important to the larger organization.
- Ensure that key priorities are clear, and alignment is obtained on balance of year objectives. This is an opportunity for both the employee and the supervisor to discuss changes or “course corrections” to ensure the employee is successful for her end of year review.
Three Things to Remember about Mid Year Performance Reviews
- This is a listening exercise for the supervisor. Listen carefully to both the content and context of the message being delivered.
- Be candid and balanced in your feedback. Both parties will get much more out of the discussion if they are honest and forthright with each other. Being too polite will not drive performance. Nor will berating and humiliating the employee.
- Clarify how you will support the employee. It is important for the supervisor to commit to what she will do to enable the success of the employee.
Watch the ‘3-Minute Crash Course’ about Conducting a Mid Year Performance Review (CLICK THE ARROW TO START THE VIDEO):
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